A killer with "a capacity for violence and aggressive behaviour" has had the suspended part of his eight-year sentence activated after attacking another man and making a threat to kill just months after being released from prison.
Drug addict Robbie Walsh (28), with an address at Island View, Kilrush, Co Clare, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Karl “Gobbo” Haugh (25) by a jury in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Haugh at Marion Estate, Kilkee, Co Clare, in the early hours of August 6th, 2017.
Walsh was sentenced to eight years in prison with one year suspended for a period of three years, backdated to August 8th, 2017, when he went into custody.
Mr Haugh died from a single stab wound, which punctured his lung and led to massive bleeding.
Trial judge Ms Justice Carmel Stewart called the case "a tragic set of circumstances" and said the loss suffered by the deceased's mother was "unimaginable" as she had previously lost a daughter in a road traffic accident. While the defendant did not set out to stab someone on the night, he had not withdrawn or disengaged in the altercation, she said.
The court heard that Karl Haugh's mother, Bridget Haugh, lost her daughter Stacey in a car crash in October 2003 and Karl, who was only 11 years old at the time was seriously injured in this crash but made a full recovery.
Walsh was released from prison on March 23rd, 2023 after serving five years and eight months of his sentence.
On Thursday, at the Central Criminal Court, Detective Garda Donal Corkery told Mr Justice Paul McDermott that on February 28th this year Walsh was sentenced to a total of 15 months in prison for assaulting Martin Burke, threatening to kill another person and criminal damage to a house and vehicle.
Petrol bomb threat
Outlining the events of July 25th, 2023, the detective said Walsh had got into an altercation with a man called Martin Burke for "a small debt" of €75. He said the defendant hit the victim several times with his fist causing him to fall. Walsh also made threats of throwing a petrol bomb into Mr Burke's house during the altercation.
The court heard that Walsh had gone to Mr Burke's house and proceeded to break windows and a car window. A threat to kill was also made by Walsh. The detective said Walsh was the "main instigator" in the altercation.
The State applied on Thursday for the activation of the suspended portion of Walsh's manslaughter sentence under Section 99 of the Criminal Justice Act resulting from his four convictions.
Brendan Grehan SC, defending Walsh, suggested to Mr Justice McDermott that the court might be minded to impose part of the suspended portion of the sentence and leave the other partly suspended. He said his client had been in custody since July last year.
Activating the one-year suspended sentence today, Mr Justice McDermott said part of Walsh's conditions were "very straight forward" including to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of three years. The judge added: "He was released on March 23rd, 2023 and these offences were dealt with in the District Court, relating to matters which occurred on July 25th, within months of being released".
The judge said Walsh had left him with no option considering his "history of serious offending". He said the defendant had just served a sentence for killing another person and "then a threat to kill in circumstances where he had already done that".
Mr Justice McDermott said he had very little option but to impose the one-year suspended sentence. "I've been asked to consider a partial suspension but it is very difficult to see how that can be justified," he continued.
The judge said a significant level of violence had been involved in the offence and he was not disposed to partly suspend any of it. He said he would impose the full 12 months to begin at the expiration of Walsh's current 15-month sentence.
